Because of the support to the teachers who are in blockade, some parents received threats that the social services would take away their children if they did not attend teaching.
Some parents allegedly received such threats via social networks, the Association of Social Workers of Serbia told Vreme.
Some associations of social workers have spoken out on the occasion, and Nevena Vučković Šahović from the Center for Children's Rights considers such statements "threatening, senseless and impossible".
"There are reasons and conditions for the deprivation of parental rights." Parents are under a legal obligation to enroll their child in school, and here things are upside down. It is impossible, ruled out, not happening. That procedure would be preceded by the qualification of the act as a serious criminal act of neglect, and the court would have to make a decision on deprivation", says Vučković Šahović for "Vreme".
Children not going to school cannot be interpreted that way, adds the "Vremena" interlocutor.
In what cases can parental rights be revoked?
The Family Law clearly defines when parents or guardians can be deprived of parental rights.
These are situations in which a parent abuses rights or grossly neglects parental duties, if he physically, sexually or emotionally abuses the child, if he exploits the child by forcing him to do excessive work, or to work that endangers the child's morals, health or education.
A child can be taken away from his parents if he forces the child to work that is prohibited by law, if he incites the child to commit criminal acts, if he accustoms the child to indulge in bad tendencies, if he otherwise abuses the rights contained in the parental right.
The decision to take away the child in these and other cases is made by the Court.
Did the strike deprive children of their right to education?
Although education is listed among the items of this law, in this particular case, it is not violated, according to the interlocutor of "Vremena".
"We constantly hear that children are deprived of their right to education." The right to education does not only consist of five hours a day, but according to our law on the basic education system, this right is exercised through various activities related to school and outside of school. The suspension of classical teaching and the realization of that specific program in no way violates the right to the right to education," says Vučković Šahović for "Vreme".
Vučković Šahović believes that the activities that are currently taking place in schools are good and that they achieve "the synergy of the quadrilateral teacher-child-parent-community and children are taught what is proclaimed in our law as the goal of education, which is the training of the child in civil society, for the development of his personality, which will be independent, make independent and mature decisions, actively participating in the work of the school from the youngest days".
The Association of Social Workers of Serbia was the first to respond to threats to parents.
"Dear parents/guardians, we have received information from several cities that social services are threatening to take away children if you do not send your children to school. The threats are baseless and unfounded," they said in a statement on social networks.
"Those claims are baseless and unsubstantiated threats to parents that their children will be taken away from them if they do not send them to school because of solidarity with the strike of educators," the organization said in a statement.
Violeta Marković, president of the Board of Directors of the Association of Social Workers of Serbia and an assistant at the Faculty of Political Sciences in Belgrade, said in a guest appearance on Nova TV that parents are not sending their children to school right now to fix the system.
What if my child does not go to school?
In the event that the school is not on strike, a child who does not go to class will receive an absence.
The class teacher later decides, based on the justification, whether the absence will be justified or unjustified.
In the event that the school is on strike, students cannot be booked for unjustified absences, nor can parents and children suffer other consequences.
Which schools are currently on strike?
After several months of warning strikes, part of the teachers in primary and secondary schools throughout Serbia went on a day-long suspension of classes, and decisions on how long they will last are made every day in assemblies.
At this time, it is not known exactly how many schools are on strike, as there are divided views on this matter between state officials and representatives of education unions.
The authorities claim that it is only a few percent of schools where there are no classes, while representatives of educational unions have diametrically opposite data.
Inspectors arrived at the doors of numerous schools in the last two days. In some schools, parents and students prevented them from entering.
Some schools are on a complete strike, in others classes have been shortened to 30 minutes, while in others everything is going on as usual.
Most high schools in Belgrade have suspended classes, and classes are held in two of the 21 high schools in Belgrade.
Classes have also been suspended in some primary schools in the capital.
The teachers of the Belgrade Primary School "Vladislav Ribnikar" informed the students and their parents that they will not hold classes until the end of the week.
There were no classes at the "Jovan Dučić" elementary school in New Belgrade, which was visited by the inspection.
Mass strike in Novi Sad as well
The bell did not ring today in numerous primary and secondary schools in Novi Sad and the surrounding area.
According to data from educational workers, 59 percent of elementary and 76 percent of state secondary schools announced the suspension of work in Novi Sad on Monday.
Numerous primary and secondary schools are on strike.
In other towns and cities in Serbia, a smaller number of schools are under blockade.
Most of the schools in Kraljevo decided to suspend classes until the union's demands were met, and the inspection did not even appear yesterday, although there were announcements that they would visit five elementary schools in that city.
Six high schools in that city suspended their work, reports N1.
Vladimir Adžić, a member of the strike committee of the Čačak Education Union (SOČ), told FoNet today that 16 schools in Čačak are in complete suspension of work, while seven schools are partially suspended, and two smaller rural ones are working.
The First Kragujevac High School, the Second High School, the Vocational High School and the School of Economics are completely blocked.
Classes have also been suspended in several elementary schools in Kragujevac.
There are no classes in three of the four high schools in Nis, as well as in the Aleksinac high school.
The suspension of classes is also ongoing in the Požarevac high school.
